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In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state
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31 Jul 2018, 20:52

6

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A

B

C

D

E

Difficulty:

65% (hard)

Question Stats:

57%(01:31) correct 43%(01:37) wrong based on 267 sessions

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In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state university system has increased by 10 and the number of students has remained roughly the same. However, prospective and current students have noted that average class size has increased.

Which of the following, if true, would resolve the apparent contradiction noted above?

A. A few of the classes at the university have class sizes of 100 students or more, well in excess of the median class size.

B. The number of adjunct professors, who teach the majority of classes at the university, has been cut by 25.

C. Some full-time tenured professors are researchers and do not lecture on a regular basis.

D. Some classes are led by graduate students who are not full time rather than by full time, tenured professors.

E. Lab and discussion classes, which are often led by teaching assistants, are not included in the calculation of class size.

Re: In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state
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31 Jul 2018, 21:19

1

I'd go with C. Since the full time tenured teachers have increased in number and the number students is virtually the same but the class size has increased, then option C tells us that the full time tenured profs do not lecture regularly. Hence the number that lecture would actually be less, giving us increased class size

In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state
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31 Jul 2018, 21:39

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Bunuel wrote:

In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state university system has increased by 10 and the number of students has remained roughly the same. However, prospective and current students have noted that average class size has increased.

Which of the following, if true, would resolve the apparent contradiction noted above?

A. A few of the classes at the university have class sizes of 100 students or more, well in excess of the median class size.

B. The number of adjunct professors, who teach the majority of classes at the university, has been cut by 25.

C. Some full-time tenured professors are researchers and do not lecture on a regular basis.

D. Some classes are led by graduate students who are not full time rather than by full time, tenured professors.

E. Lab and discussion classes, which are often led by teaching assistants, are not included in the calculation of class size.

+1 for B

A. A few of the classes at the university have class sizes of 100 students or more, well in excess of the median class size.- Incorrect. Irrelevant, number of students in a class doesn't explain the paradox of why the class size has increasedB. The number of adjunct professors, who teach the majority of classes at the university, has been cut by 25.- Correct. This statement gives a scenario where 25 adjunct professors are removed, which will make students of those classes attend other classes hence, increasing the average class sizeC. Some full-time tenured professors are researchers and do not lecture on a regular basis.- Incorrect. This is inconsistent. We don't have enough information on how infrequent the full time tenured professors take classes.D. Some classes are led by graduate students who are not full time rather than by full time, tenured professors.- Incorrect. Irrelevant. This doesn't explain why the average class size could increase. Lecturers are getting replaced anywayE. Lab and discussion classes, which are often led by teaching assistants, are not included in the calculation of class size.- Incorrect. Out of scope_________________

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Re: In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state
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31 Jul 2018, 23:01

In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state university system has increased by 10 and the number of students has remained roughly the same. However, prospective and current students have noted that average class size has increased.

Type - paradox

A. A few of the classes at the university have class sizes of 100 students or more, well in excess of the median class size. -- Irrelevant

B. The number of adjunct professors, who teach the majority of classes at the university, has been cut by 25. - Correct -- average class size will increase since number of adjunct professors has been cut by 25 and thus net decrease in number of professors is 15

C. Some full-time tenured professors are researchers and do not lecture on a regular basis. -- Incorrect -- okay but the number of Full-time tenured increased. So, this does not explain the paradox

D. Some classes are led by graduate students who are not full time rather than by full time, tenured professors. -- Incorrect -- does not explain the paradox

E. Lab and discussion classes, which are often led by teaching assistants, are not included in the calculation of class size.-- Irrelevant -- why we should be bothered by TAs and Labs since Labs and discussion classes are excluded from calculation of class size ?

Answer B
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Re: In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state
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01 Aug 2018, 20:12

Bunuel wrote:

In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state university system has increased by 10 and the number of students has remained roughly the same. However, prospective and current students have noted that average class size has increased.

Which of the following, if true, would resolve the apparent contradiction noted above?

A. A few of the classes at the university have class sizes of 100 students or more, well in excess of the median class size.

B. The number of adjunct professors, who teach the majority of classes at the university, has been cut by 25.

C. Some full-time tenured professors are researchers and do not lecture on a regular basis.

D. Some classes are led by graduate students who are not full time rather than by full time, tenured professors.

E. Lab and discussion classes, which are often led by teaching assistants, are not included in the calculation of class size.

In this question you are told that while the number of full time, tenured professors at the university has increased by 10, average class size has increased despite the fact that the number of students at the university has remained roughly the same. To resolve this apparent paradox, your first step should be to find the gap. Do tenured professors teach enough that an increase in the number of tenured professors would decrease class size? Are they teaching fewer classes?

The only answer choices that begin to address any of these questions are (B), (C) and (D). Choice (B) states that the number of adjunct professors - "who teach the majority of classes" has declined by 25. Even if there was an increase in tenured professors, since adjunct professors teach the majority of classes their dismissal will have an outsized effect on class size and will drive average class size up. Choice (B) is correct.

Choice (C) is close, but you don't know that there has been an increase in the number of tenured professors who don't teach. Perhaps there are two professors who (for whatever reason) only do research and that this number hasn't changed for 20 years. If so, this information would have no effect on class size. Note also that the stimulus states that the average class size increased. Even if all 10 new tenured professors were research-only, their impact (or lack thereof) wouldn't increase the average class size...it would just leave it unchanged. Similarly, choice (D) can be eliminated because even though some classes are led by graduate students you have no information about the relative numbers of graduate students available to teach.

Between the other two answers, (A) can be eliminated because there is no indication that the number of students in these very large classes has increased and choice (E) can be eliminated because there is no indication that not including these classes changes the average class size in any meaningful way.
_________________

Re: In recent years, the number of full time, tenured faculty in the state
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28 Aug 2018, 06:21

For answer choice B - Why is it safe to assume that just because the 25 adjunct professors are cut, that students will filter into the classes of professors that are left over? Isn't it possible that professors might take over for the responsibilities of the 25 cut professors and just teach their classes, keeping the class average constant?